He led the United States into war and saw his popularity plummet, yet some 60 years later his reputation has never been higher: It's small wonder Harry S. Truman seems to hold a special fascination for President Bush these days.

That interest came into focus recently after Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) went public with an account of a meeting last Friday in which he said the president seemed to be comparing his situation to that of Truman in the late 1940s. According to Durbin's account and another source familiar with the meeting, Bush told the gathering of congressional leaders that Truman's approach to dealing with the Cold War was not initially popular but that he was vindicated by history -- the implication being that Bush would be vindicated about Iraq as well.

White House aides later disputed this reading of Bush's comments, but the episode may offer a glimpse into the psychology of a president who, like Truman in his second term, seems beset by trouble and pressures on all sides and who is ready to look to history for some comfort and guidance.

<snip>

By many accounts, Bush is fascinated by history and biography -- he reads extensively and meets periodically with presidential scholars -- and Truman has certainly seemed to be on his mind in recent months. In his commencement address this year at West Point, Bush discussed Truman at some length, lauding his early role in structuring U.S. forces and institutions for the Cold War.

...since it's obvious even to him that he's not going to be properly appreciated in his time, he's comforting himself by pretending that he's like Harry S Truman, who was unpopular, but was vindicated in the long run.Bush becomes more delusional by the day. I wish that there was some way we could remove him from office on the grounds that he is medically and psychologically unfit to be occupying the Oval Office.

may mistreat him as he spends his remaining years in prison. I am against the death penalty, but there are exceptions- when there is absolutely no mistake about who plotted the horrible misery and deaths of a half million innocents.

When I see those little kids, arms and legs burned off, staring blankly and bravely at the camera, I would gladly assume the mantle of justice at the Hague.Such a war crimes trial would bring joy to half the worlds population. This man and his fellow assassins deserve only contempt. I am so terribly sad and angry.

The reason is his rock-solid integrity. When he made a decision, he took the responsibility for it. We've all heard the phrase "The Buck Stops Here"--what gigantic balls to put a sign like that on his very own desk.

Even his loyalty to Pendergast was admirable... he went to the man's funeral when all his advisors were telling him not to. Because it was the right and decent thing to do.

He was unpopular at the end of his presidency because he didn't give a shit what people thought of him--he only cared about what he felt was right, morally and for the country. And he took responsibility for it all.

This president thinks "the right thing to do" means "cover your privileged ass." For him to compare himself to Truman makes me sick. He isn't fit to speak Truman's name.

In this movie, Jim Carrey is Truman, a man whose life is a fake one... The place he lives is in fact a big studio with hidden cameras everywhere, and all his friends and people around him are actors who play their roles in the most popular tv-series in the world: The Truman Show. Truman thinks that he is an ordinary man with an ordinary life and has no idea about how he is exploited. Until one day... he finds out everything. Will he react?

* * *

As with *, everybody in The Truman Show treated Truman with kid gloves. He was never criticized, encouraged to challenge his beliefs nor permitted to learn about the world beyond his perfect bubble. Individuals who didn't follow the script -- like the Dad -- were written out of the script. (He also didn't have sex with his wife, apparently; the parallels with * are uncanny...) Everything was controlled by the all-powerful Director, who manipulated the audience's feelings as adroitly as he did Truman's life.

I didn't know they made children's big-print cliff-note bio's with lots of big pictures; as that's about all I can imagine this guy actually "reads". Of course, in his advancing age and situation as President who's on vacation much of the time (even when he's supposedly "at work" in the White House), thus allowing him ample time to browse comic-book type books (probably prepared specially by Presidential 'Scholars', at a cost of millions no doubt too).

You guys just don't know it yet, but history will tell a different story. Unfortunately, we will all be dead. But your grandchildren will study the story of Stephanie, Great Genius. See how convenient that is?

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